The present invention relates to a ball retriever and in particular to a putter head including an integral ball retriever and ball aligning marks.
The game of golf is enjoyed by many youths, adults, and senior citizens. Some of the main benefits of golf are the enjoyment of the outdoors and improved health from remaining active as one ages. Unfortunately, as one ages, various old age maladies such as arthritis and rheumatism limit the ability to bend over, such as bending over to retrieve a golf ball from, for example, the putting green or from the inside of the cup.
Several golf ball retrievers are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,722,519 for “Device for Retrieving Golf Balls,” U.S. Pat. No. 1,830,520 for “Device for Picking Up Golf Balls and Like Articles,” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,488 for “Portable Golf Ball Retriever,” all describe a device with a shaft and a grasping member on the end of the shaft for retrieving golf balls. Unfortunately, a dedicated retriever adds to the articles carried by a golfer, and has not been generally accepted by golfers for retrieving golf balls. Other devices attach to the grip end of golf clubs, but have been found to interfere with gripping the club.
Other known solutions comprise golf clubs with features included for retrieving golf balls. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,784 for “Golf Club Including Ball Retrieving Devices,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,259 for “Golf Putter,” describe golf clubs which scoop up a golf ball. Unfortunately, such scooping often results in a frustrating series of motions which fail to retrieve the ball or may damage the edges of the cup or hole by pressing against the edge to scoop the ball. U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,027 for “Golf Ball Retrieving Club,” describes a club with a hemispherical cavity on the clubs bottom, which cavity is intended to grasp a golf ball when the cavity of forced over the golf ball. The gasping depends on the precise interference fit between golf ball holders along the mouth of the cavity and the golf ball. Unfortunately, golf balls have some variation in size and surface, and the dependence on the precise interference fit is only suitable for a particular size ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,112 for “Golf Ball Retrieving Club,” describes a club with a tapered cavity having an opening to the rear. The tapered throat has a taper of “a few thousandths of an inch.” The taper is thus described only in generalities, and no specific dimensions suitable for known golf balls are provided. Unfortunately, because of the variation in known golf balls, and because of the requirements for a suitable interference fit, a small range of diameter and taper is required to achieve a useful device, and such is not disclosed in the '112 patent. Further, because the club of the '112 patent describes a large gap at the rear of the throat, only a single aligning (or aiming) mark may be provided for aligning the club with the ball. Additionally, the entry of the ball into the throat is not limited, and therefore the ball may be seated too deep in the throat and be difficult to remove, or the ball may push through the throat and be difficult to retrieve.